Shadow of the Past
by lilgirl
Summary: It's been three months since the girls have broken up as friends and Mina still feels sad about it. How will it all turn out when she makes a plan to get them back together?
1. Prologue: A short ending to a beginning

Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon  
  
Shadow of the Past  
  
Prologue: A short ending to a beginning  
".Nothing regrettable was said it just happened, so why does it hurt so  
badly? Why?"  
  
A cold bitter rain plopped silently against the window pain. It was dark and dreary outside as the gray clouds covered the once bright blue sky. The ground was soaked outside and the grass wet. The air was bitter and had harsh chill to it. But she couldn't feel that inside her warm home.  
  
Mina sighed as she leaned her head against her arms that were folded nicely on her desk and gazed out the window the piece of furniture sat in front of. A smile spread across her face as she remembered, but then it faded. The memory was still too close for her to be able to fondly remember her friends. A frown replaced her usual cheery smile and it deepened as a new memory, unwanted and regretted, came to mind.  
Artemis jumped up on the desk beside her and gazed out at the wet weather, a little too wet for him, and smiled.  
"The rain drops on the window form a shape, Mina!" he said in attempt to cheer his owner up. As his gaze settled on her blank stare and saddened eyes he frowned heaving a great sigh.  
Mina stared thoughtfully out the window her frown deepening even more. She felt warm, burning tears puddle up in her big blue eyes and she blinked them back. Why should she cry? None of the others did! They didn't even appear to care! She shouldn't either.  
Mina felt stronger tears fill her eyes and one slipped down her cheek. A sob escaped her lips and she buried her blonde head in her folded arms.  
Artemis placed his paw on her arm and sighed. "There, there. Let it all out," he said comfortingly.  
Mina's shoulder shook as she sobbed, soaking the sleeves of her thick sweater. She sobbed freely now as her guardian cat, the only loyal friend she now had she thought, sat faithfully beside her purring. It was a comforting sound to her, and he knew this.  
"It hurts, Artemis! It hurts so much!" she said through her tears and sobs. "Why does it hurt so? I never knew it could hurt so much! Nothing regrettable was said it just happened, so why does it hurt so badly? Why?"  
Artemis frowned as he fumbled with his own thoughts. He honestly had no clue why it hurt, it just did. He sighed, and curled up into a ball against Mina's arm, increasing the sound of his purring. He gazed out the window submerging himself in thought.  
It had been three long, miserable months for him and Mina; three long months since the brake up of the scouts. Since their last battle with Queen Neherenia everything had been peaceful. No more battles, no more monsters, no more bad guys, and no more sailor scouts. With no more need for the scouts, they began to drift apart for some reason. None of them knew why and they couldn't explain it. The people outside of them, who watched such as Darien, Andrew, Molly, Melvin, and the cats, could do just that; watch as they lost their relationship.  
At first, since none of them desired to drift apart like they found themselves, they continued with their study meetings as they could. But they found less and less to talk about and it came to a point where mostly what they said was "hi" when they arrived, "bless you" if someone sneezed, "excuse me" if they yawned, burped or did something else of crude behavior, and "good-bye" when they left. Raye stopped picking on Serena, Amy stopped being the "homework drill sergeant", as Mina had nicknamed her, but would always help with a problem out of the kindness of her heart, and Lita stopped being Lita all in all. But they were still together. And then summer came and it all went to pieces.  
Artemis sighed. The only way to find out how Serena was doing was to talk to Luna whom he saw very little now. Ever since the girls had stopped seeing each other the two moon cats found it hard to get together and talk, as they so wanted to do. Sometimes they wondered if they were drifting apart, but realized their yearning to see one another kept that from happening and kept them close.  
Mina sniffed as her eyes burned with tears. They were now red and puffy from the crying she'd been doing. That's how they looked as of lately. And seemed that's how they stayed.  
Mina sat up and wiped her tears away with the corner of her sleeve. She sniffed as she looked down at her hands, which she had just folded neatly in her lap. She picked at a nub on her gray skirt and found a flaw in her red sweater. She frowned down upon her black tights and her fuzzy pink slippers that clashed horribly with her outfit. But she didn't care. She wouldn't be seeing anybody anytime soon. And she wouldn't have any surprise visits from her friends. They'd all gone away.  
Mina frowned and fresh tears filled her eyes. She still remembered that horrible day the girls had gotten together to study for their test. It was Raye who brought up the matter.  
  
'Raye looked darkly around the room at all the faces of her friends. She pushed a lock of her dark hair over her shoulder and cleared her throat.  
"I never thought I'd say this," she said, her voice cracking and her eyes tearing. "But we're growing apart."  
Everyone lowered their heads and gazed at their closed books before them. Artemis looked over at Luna with worry in his eye. The two had notices the uncomfortable silence that had grown between the girls and the large amount of space they each put between the other when placed beside one another.  
Raye quickly wiped a tear from her eye. "We can't go on like this. It's uncomfortable and just plain."  
"Wishful," Lita finished. Raye nodded her head. "That's all the past month has been. Wishful thinking and hoping things would change. I don't know if any of you see it, but we're not close at all."  
Serena's eyes filled with tears and she burst into uncontrollable sobs. She covered her face with her hands and leaned on the table.  
Mina felt an unfamiliar feeling foreignism as she sat there amongst her friends. Her heart reached out to Serena as she listened to the fellow blonde's sobs and felt tears in her own eyes. As she looked around the room she could see the others tearing as well.  
Amy sniffed, tears rolling down her cheeks. "We can't go on like this. It's making it worse," she sobbed. "I hate to see us this way. I wish it could go back to the way it was, but that seems all but impossible."  
Lita's shoulder shook and her bottom jaw quivered. "What a way to go, huh?" she asked, her voice cracking. "I mean, we've known each other for so long and been through so much together. It seems stupid to let peace brake us apart."  
"It is stupid!" Mina cried, tears flowing down her cheeks. "Why did it have to end up like this?"  
Raye looked up her face stained with tears. "It just did. Destiny you could call it," she muttered. She had a distant stare and a glazed look to her eyes. She cried silently and her body showed no sign that she was. But tears rolled constantly down her face, curved to her chin and then dropped off into her lap.  
"I can't stand it anymore!" Serena wailed. "We don't talk anymore. Doesn't that bother you?" She looked across to Lita. "Doesn't it bother any of you?"  
Lita sobbed. "It bothers us all, but what can we do?" she said, her voice shaky.  
Amy sucked in a breath. She was brave for what she was about to suggest. But she looked as if she felt stupid. "We stop coming here," she said. Everyone turned to her in shock, but at the same time interest. "We stop seeing each other and sort out our thoughts. If we're alone we can think clearer and try to figure out what happened. And maybe in the future, once we've had time to think it through and draw a conclusion, we can get together and talk about it. Maybe."  
Everyone dropped their heads in silence. They stared down at the table, their hands, or skirts. They all felt horribly about all of it, each blaming themselves for the brake up. The wore frowns on their faces and one never would have thought that they once were good friends who talked, laughed, and studied together.  
The room was silent for the longest time each pondering Amy's words, and then, Raye broke it.  
"I don't know what else to do. I guess, ok," she said. "Amy's right. We can think things through better if we're not feeling this awkwardness."  
Lita nodded. "I agree," she said, sniffing. "So today will be our last day that we come together?"  
Serena nodded. She couldn't say anything. She was hurting to badly.  
Mina sniffed and her frown deepened. "I." her voice caught in her throat and she swallowed hard to find it again. "I- I don't. it sounds like the best thing for now," she said her voice dark.  
"So it's settled," Amy said, a tear rolling down her pale cheek. She stood her things gathered in her arms. "We leave, and none of us come back. We don't see each other anymore, and we try to figure out what happened on our own."  
Lita stood and picked up her things. "I agree," she said.  
Soon, Serena and Mina stood as well after they had slowly gotten their things. Raye remained quietly at the table seated. She raised her head to look at them all and to speak one last final word.  
"Bye," she said sniffing. At the word more tears burned her eyes.  
Amy nodded. "Good-bye."  
"Bye, guys. Take care," Serena said. She bent down and threw her arms around Raye's neck. The black haired girl hugged her back. Reluctantly, Serena stood. She went to Lita and hugged her. The two embraced each other in a fairwell hug and Serena moved on. She did the same to the other two, and they hugged her good-bye for the last time.  
Serena ran from the room sobbing Luna close behind. Lita was the next one to go with tears flowing down her soft cheeks. Amy followed, her head bent in sobs and coughs from all the crying.  
Mina walked to the door. There was a very dark shadow cast over the room. She looked down at Artemis her eyes stained with tears and sniffed. She looked back and Raye.  
"Good-bye, Raye!" she sobbed. Rushing over she threw herself to the floor and wrapped her arms around her friend's neck. "I love you so much! I don't know what happened to us!"  
Raye put her comforting arms around the blonde and sobbed into her hair as she buried her face on her head. "I don't either," she said. She pushed Mina away and placed her hands on her shoulders. "Go, before you can't."  
Mina stood and gathered her stuff. She walked gloomily back to the door and opened it. She turned her head back slightly but a sad voice called up to her from the floor.  
"Don't look back, Mina," Artemis said. "It's the worst you could do."  
Mina turned back and sniffed. She walked out, and shut the door behind her, never to open it again.'  
  
(Author's Note: the paragraphs in '___' are what happened the day they split up.)  
  
Mina gazed out her window and once again fixed her eyes on the rain outside. She sighed as her heart ached and longed to see her friends again. She wondered so often how they were doing and how they did in school. She found herself wondering how Amy and Serena were doing since they went to the same school. She wondered if they avoided each other or if they'd become friends again and cried about the others together. She wondered about a lot of things.  
Artemis sat up on the desk and looked Mina square in the eyes. "Mina," he said softly. "You can't do this. You need to get outside. If you stay in here all day everyday, it'll only get worse, not better. You need to go out and seek new friends, or talk with some of the ones you have."  
"I don't have any other friends, Artemis," Mina replied coldly. "That's the problem. They were my friends."  
Artemis sighed. He looked back out the window. He wished he could make it all right again. If he had had that power he would have done so a long time ago.  
"Have you figured out why you grew apart yet?" he asked.  
Mina shook her head. "No, but I'm thinking about it," she said. Her voice was shaky and she was on the verge of tears again.  
Artemis smiled. "Hey, when the rain stops, why don't you and I go out to the ice cream shop and get some ice cream! We can share a bowl like we used too."  
Mina smiled. "That sounds nice," she said. She reached up and scratched her cat behind the ear. "I'd like that."  
Artemis smiled. "Let's do it, ok?" he said, standing up. "We can forget all about our worries and cares for just this once. We can think about happier times, and I'll let you stop worrying about your sailor scout skills. Come on, what do you say."  
Mina smiled. She loved her guardian cat so much and she felt like she could confide in him for anything. She had the perfect friend right before her and knew it with all her heart. But it still hurt her greatly to have lost all her other friends, the people she had held so dear to her heart and still did.  
"Ok," Mina said. She stood from her seat and walked to her dresser. "I'll get ready and we'll go."  
"When the rain stops?" Artemis asked, glanced out the window wearily.  
Mina smiled and chuckled. "When the rain stops."  
Artemis smiled. Just the sound of her laugh was wonderful. She hadn't done so in such a long time. Even though it had been short, it was still a melody to his ears.  
Mina picked up her brush and brushed through her long blonde hair. She then pulled it back into its usual style and tied her red bow extra carefully. She went into the bathroom and wiped her face with a cool rag. She applied some powder to hide her pale cheeks and the dark circles that had formed under her eyes from endless nights of crying. She opened the medicine cabinet, pulled out a skin colored lipstick and applied it lightly to her lips.  
After gazing at her reflection in the mirror for a while she sighed, deciding that was all she'd do. Retiring back to the comforts of her bedroom, she glanced down at her outfit. It was to old and tattered to wear out.  
Mina walked to her closet and fetched a dark green, almost black, knee- length skirt, a burgundy sweater, and her black ankle high boots. As she pulled her change of cloths on she noticed her tights were all fuzzy and nubbed. She sighed and pulled a new pair of black tights from her chest of drawers. Slipping them on under her skirt she quickly put a white turtleneck on and pulled the sweater on over top of it. She slipped the boots on and looked herself over in her full-length mirror.  
Satisfied with her appearance she turned around to see Artemis staring at her in amazement. She stifled a smile and spoke.  
"I just felt like looking pretty today," she said, twirling around once. "What do you think?"  
Artemis smiled. He glanced back over his shoulder out the window and turned back to his 'princess.' "It looks like the rain has stopped."  
Mina smiled as she picked up her purse from the bed. "It did, didn't?" Slowly she crossed the room and scooped her cat up in her arms. Placing him on her shoulder she left the room and turned out the lights.  
  
End Prologue. Watch for: Chapter 1: Mina's got the blues (will be longer than the prologue) 


	2. Chapter 1: Mina's got the blues

Author's Note: This is after Sailor Moon becomes Eternal Sailor Moon. I don't really know where Neptune and Uranus where at this point, but in this story they will be in an apartment for the convenience of Mina and my plot. Also, I'm using all the dubbed names, and, like it or not, Uranus and Neptune are not "lovers," but since it sort of goes against the story line, they are not cousins either. Just really, really, REALLY close friends. Who share an apartment. Innocently. Thank you.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon  
  
Shadow of the Past  
  
Chapter 1: Mina's got the blues  
  
Mina felt as if everyone around her could see what she was thinking and see through to her very heart and soul. She gulped down a large spoon of ice cream and swallowed hard as the expected throbbing pain in her head acquired by eating ice cream too fast followed shortly after.  
"Mina!" Artemis exclaimed. He glanced around nervously, realizing he was a cat and had said that just a little too loud, and quieted his voice. "You're going to give yourself a headache eating it that fast."  
"I don't care!" Mina groaned, dropping her head into her hands.  
"Mina, we're in public. You'll make everyone stare at you, and I know how much you hate that," Artemis reminded. He moved closer to her from where he sat hidden from other people in the booth's seat at the ice cream parlor.  
"I don't care about that either! Let them stare if they want, that's their problem," she snapped. She removed her hands from her face and stared down at the half empty bowl of ice cream. Her eyes puddle with tears and she sniffed. Smiling fondly she spoke in a quiet, soft voice.  
"Artemis, we used to come here all the time and get ice cream together. We'd gossip and talk all our troubles away," Mina glanced thoughtfully down at her communicator watch that she clutched in her hand. "Now who do I have left? I have no one! No one to share my troubles with. Instead, I'm alone and have to carry them all by myself."  
Artemis stared at the watch until she closed her hand around it again. He gazed up at her with his large blue cat eyes saddened. "Mina, don't cry! We're going to forget! We'll forget our troubles for now, and if it helps," he laid halfway on her lap as he spoke, "I'll shoulder some of your troubles for you."  
Mina smiled and scratched him behind the ear. She wiped her eyes. She held the bowl of ice cream down for him to eat what she couldn't and closed her eyes in thought.  
The past months had been horrible. All she could think about was her friends whom she still loved so much. She wished they could get back together and go back to the way they used to be. It greave her at the thought that a monster or baddy was the only thing that ever held them together. She had a gut feeling it was something more than that, and all her instincts told her something else other than the peace had broken them apart.  
But to glide on such a feeling without any other support seemed like vainness to her. Without talking to any of the other girls, she had no idea if they'd thought of the same thing. She couldn't speak with them, they'd agreed not to until they all had had enough time to think it through. Three months probably wasn't enough time for the busier ones, like Raye and Amy and Lita. They did so much in their days they hardly had time to breath much less think about what had gone wrong. So going to one of them was out of the question.  
Mina sighed as she raised her head. She sat the last of the ice cream left in the bowl and placed some money under it, leaving a tip of fifty cents. She stood and held open her large purse, more of a shoulder bag, for Artemis to jump in. Once he was in it, she zipped it halfway and slung it onto her shoulder.  
Mina walked down the street her head down and a gloomy look on her face. She passed so many things that reminded her of her friends: a restaurant and flower shop that reminded her of Lita, a bookstore of fine literature that reminded her of Amy, a girl with long black hair that was similar to Raye's that reminded her of the girl herself, and a donut shop that reminded her of Serena. As she passed each one more tears filled her eyes. The only scouts she knew that weren't apart were the outers; one was a little girl who couldn't possibly understand the pain of loosing a friend, the other the guardian of the gate of time, and the last two..  
Mina paused dead in the street and stood staring at the ground deep in her thoughts. She didn't hear Artemis asking why they'd stopped until his soft paw was poking at her shoulder.  
Mina glanced down at Artemis who had his head poked out of the bag and smiled. It was small, weak, and faint. Not a healthy, happy smile that she normally gave. She stroked his head momentarily and then looked back down at the ground.  
"What are you doing?" Artemis asked, looking at the ground confused. "Unless the ground has fallen in this spot let's go somewhere."  
Mina's smile faded. "Nowhere to go," she replied. She shook her head. "I have no purpose in life without my friends and with nobody evil to fight Sailor Venus doesn't either. She's just a game now."  
Artemis frowned. "I don't like you talking like that," he said sternly. "You still have friends."  
"Name three," she snapped.  
"There's Darien for one! Just because Serena isn't seeing you doesn't mean you can't talk with him secretly! And then there's Andrew at the arcade! You get along great with him!" Artemis replied. He frowned his eyes narrowing in thought for a moment. "And don't tell me you forgot Amara and Michelle! There, that's four! And you have more at your school.  
Mina smiled again. "Artemis," she said, looking over at him as he climbed up to perch on her shoulder. "I was just thinking about them."  
Artemis blinked. "About who?" he asked, curiously.  
"Amara and Michelle! You're right, they are still my friends," Mina said. "And I feel that I can confide in them. I doubt any of the others have talked to them since Serena had Darien, Amy has her parents, Raye has Chad and her grandpa. And Lita's got her friend, Ken!"  
Artemis gave the young blonde a worried glance. "You're talking as if you're competing with them now," he commented.  
Mina's smile faded slightly. "I don't mean to," she whispered, her head dropping again. "I just don't want to talk to someone who already knows and has heard their side. They all have their own friends and family to talk with whom they don't have to share. I feel I need one or two."  
Artemis frowned. "I understand," he said. "So what exactly do you have in mind?"  
Mina raised her head and proceeded with her normal walking pace. "Well, like I said I need friends to talk to whom I don't have to share," she began. "Amara and Michelle are here in Tokyo, and I plan to visit them. Michelle at least will listen and comfort me."  
Artemis sighed. "You sound awfully cheery all of a sudden to have been so gloomy for three months," he said.  
Mina frowned. "I'm not cheery enough and I still feel horrible on the inside. I feel thin and weak, old and crippled, too small of a puzzle piece laid on too big of a floor. I can't see anything the way I used to anymore."  
Artemis sighed. "I understand that, too. Feel as bad as you want around me. Or just as cheery. I don't care what your mood is."  
Mina smiled. Though it faded quickly she felt her heart warm slightly for the first time in months. Just knowing she had at least one person to rely on, human or not, was so very comforting. And warming.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Mina stared down into her hot chocolate letting the steam rise and warm her runny nose. She sniffed holding back tears, and forced herself to look up into the eyes of her friends, her new source of comfort. The only two people she felt she could call a friend anymore.  
Michelle sat quiet listening for her to speak. She glanced worriedly at Amara who sat across from the wavy haired woman's large armchair on the couch next to the weary blonde who'd come knocking on their doorstep who had been reduced to nothing but tears and helpless sobs just a few minutes ago.  
Amara reached over and gently touched Mina's shoulder to catch her attention. She'd cast her gaze back into her cup in apparent attempts to keep herself from crying anymore.  
"Mina, won't you tell us what's wrong?" Michelle asked, moving to the edge of her seat. She reached over the coffee table and lifted the girls head to reveal large blue eyes soaked with tears.  
Mina sniffed as several of her tears rolled freely down her pale cheeks. She sobbed and gripped her cup tightly until her knuckles turned white.  
Amara carefully pried the cup from her hands and placed it on the coffee table in front of them. She placed her hand back on her shoulder for comfort. She never thought she'd be so emotional, or emotionally supportive, but when she'd seen Mina's condition her heart went out.  
Mina balled her hands into loose fists and covered her face. She searched her mind for the words to say, but couldn't say them once she'd found them. They caught in her throat and she choked or ended up coughing.  
Michelle retired her cup to the coffee table as well and stood, moving over to the other side of Mina, she sat down and wrapped her arm firmly around her shoulders. She pulled the other girl against her and hugged her tightly.  
"There, there," she whispered. "It's ok. Go ahead and cry. You can tell us when you're ready."  
Amara sighed. She bent and scooped up Artemis. Holding him in the air she glared at him. "You tell us, you must know!" she demanded.  
Artemis's ears turned around backwards in fear. "I don't think it's my place," he said. "Mina came to you for comfort and she should tell you why."  
Amara sighed and placed the moon cat on her lap. She stroked him patiently as he cautiously curled up into a weary ball. He squinted his eyes shut and covered his ears. How he hated hearing Mina cry. And she'd done it alone for so long. At least now she had a shoulder to cry on.  
Mina gathered herself together. She sat up, wiped her eyes and sniffed. She fumbled with a tissue she'd been handed in her hands with a blank stare for a while. Then, in a hoarse voice she spoke.  
"I got your pretty dress all wet," Mina stated, glancing at the sea green, sleeveless dress Michelle was wearing.  
Michelle smiled sweetly. "That's ok," she said. "Now, what's the matter?"  
Mina cast her gaze back down at the floor. "I-I don't know where to start," she said sadly.  
"From the beginning," Amara said. "When you first became this way."  
Mina sighed. She took in a deep breath and released it moments after. "It all started months ago."  
"And you just now came to us?" Amara exclaimed.  
"Shh! Let her finish!" Michelle scolded, waving her hand in a mothering manner.  
"Three months ago," Mina began, a small quiver in her voice. "It happened. The five of us - the girls and I -- we broke up."  
"What?!" Amara and Michelle gasped simultaneously.  
"We're no longer a group! No longer friends, no longer the scouts, though we always will be in our hearts," Mina cried. She took in another deep breath. "It broke our hearts so much to say it, but it had to be said. We were growing apart and all that was ever said were common things you'd say to a new acquaintance!"  
Michelle placed her arm around her shoulders again. "Why is that?" she asked.  
"I don't know, it just happened! Nobody had any harsh feelings and nobody was mad at anybody." Mina replied.  
"You just grew apart?"  
"Yes, and it became very awkward to be around each other."  
"You all felt like strangers?"  
Mina nodded. "Thrown together in a confined place."  
Amara scowled. "But you were so close! What happened to brake you up?"  
Mina shook her head and sniffed back more tears. "I don't know! I honestly wish I did! Maybe then I could fix it!" She felt tears slip down her cheeks. How tired she was of feeling them and an aching pain in her heart.  
"So what are you going to do?" Amara asked. "If there's another enemy, I mean. You won't be strong enough apart from one another."  
"That's one of the biggest problems," Mina replied. "I don't know what to do, accept hope. Besides," she sucked in another breath and her voice wavered. "It's not for good. We agreed to split up long enough to think it through. Long enough for each of us to figure it all out, make our own theories about why it happened."  
"That's stupid! How are you supposed to know when you've all thought it out if you don't talk?" Amara demanded. She received a cold glare from Michelle and mentally withdrew her question.  
"And why do you think it happened?" Michelle asked, brushing a lock of Mina's blonde hair back behind her ear with her hand.  
"I'm not sure yet. But I know it wasn't the peace that broke us up. Our relationships were held together by much more than battles and the fact that we had to work together. We all became friends before we knew the other was a scout, accept for me," Mina explained. She sniffed again and wiped her eyes. "I can't help but feel like something is pushing us apart. A stranger amongst us who doesn't want us to be close. Someone who fears how powerful we are together."  
"You mean, like a new threat? Someone who knows of our identities?" Amara questioned.  
Mina nodded. "That's exactly it. The only thing is, like Amara suggested in her question, I don't know if they're ready to talk about it."  
Michelle frowned. She exchanged a look with Amara that said they needed to discuss it further later. She then turned back to Mina and placed a kind smile on her face.  
"Mina, why don't we go out somewhere?" Michelle offered.  
"You're to upset to be alone. You need to take it off of your mind for now," Amara added. "And an outing will help."  
Michelle nodded. "And later, after you've had time to have some fun, we can discuss it further. That will give Amara and me more time to think about what you've said."  
Mina nodded and scooped Artemis into her arms. "Thanks you, guys. You have no idea how much this means to me."  
Amara stood and picked up her car keys. "I might be able to guess."  
Michelle smiled as she grabbed a scarf that matched her dress and wrapped it around her neck. "You don't think about it anymore," she said, holding her hand out to Mina. "We'll have fun tonight."  
Mina smiled as she took Michelle's hand and stood. "You're the best!"  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Utter screams of delight erupted from around every twisting turn of the large "Big Adventure" roller coaster. Michelle stood happily listening with Artemis in her arms knowing that one of those screams belonged to Mina. Ever since they ground had dried from the mornings shower or rain, the three had spent their time in the amusement park. Before that, they'd been to the mall and hit every store. Michelle felt a little sorry for Amara, however, she endured it with the bravest of smiles planted on her face.  
Michelle smiled again as the rides stopped and she watched her two friends get off. This was the perfect medicine for the young blonde's aching heart: two hours of the morning spent shopping, lunchtime spent at a large outdoor restaurant by the sea, three hours at the festival, and now the rest of the day eating cotton candy, playing 'shoot the duck' games and other such prize winning things, and riding wonderful charming rides to the most thrilling ones. It definitely had taken her mind off of the other girls. Michelle just wished she could do the same for the others, or at least knew the same was being done for them.  
Amara sighed as the laughter shared between the two girls died down. She put her arm around Mina's shoulder and pulled her over in front of her, and pointing to a large ride she said, "How about we go on that one after a short break?"  
Mina nodded as her eager eyes scanned the sign. It read: "The Sling Shot." Mina's smiled widened as she watched two people climb into a two- seater chair and be strapped and buckled in and a large bar lowered down in front of them. As soon as the ride started they were hurled up hundreds of feet into the air and pulled back down by gravity. As the ride reached the bottom it sprung back up as the bungee like cords stretched and snapped back.  
Michelle fearfully eyed the ride. She was glad it was only a two- seater. She turned to the other two who accompanied her and smiled.  
"How do you two stand such rides?" she asked, glancing back over at the two people on the ride were hurled up into the air over and over.  
Amara laughed. "We're daring!" she replied.  
Mina nodded her head rapidly. She turned around to say something but her eyes lit up as they fell on something that lay behind Michelle.  
"Oh! Look, it's so cute!" she exclaimed, rushing past the two and over to a small stand. She picked up an adorable looking white rabbit with a pink nose, large chibi eyes, and soft fuzzy fur and cuddled it. She turned her head to the man behind the stand and asked, "What do I have to do to win this?"  
The man chuckled. "Shoot ten negaverse monsters," he replied. Then, pointing up to the sign above his head he said, "It's based on the Sailor V game."  
Mina blinked at the sign and smiled. "I'll play!" she said, slapping the correct amount of money on the counter.  
Michelle and Amara walked up behind her as she rolled up her sleeves. She took the Sailor V gun and aimed carefully at the monsters as they scrolled past on a hidden conveyer belt. She took her time for the first shot, and missed. She frowned and sighed, realizing she only had fourteen shots left.  
Amara watched as she more or less missed every target. She shook her head slightly and reached into her pocket to pull out some money.  
Mina put the gun down and longingly looked at the bunny. She felt a gently hand on her shoulder and she turned around.  
"Why is it you want that stuffed animal so bad?" Amara asked, hiding the money at her side.  
Mina sighed and looked back at the rabbit with tears in her eyes. "It reminds me of Serena," he muttered.  
Amara sighed. That was a good enough reason to blow half of the money she had left. Laying the money on the counter she took the gun and aimed. A laser blast sound taken strait from the arcade game was heard from a speaker strategically placed above her head and one of the targets fell backwards. Taking aim again, Amara fired.  
Mina watched as Amara gunned down ten monsters. She watched as the man behind the stand congratulated her and asked what prize she would like. Her eyes grew in surprise as she picked up the rabbit she wanted and handed it to her.  
"Here," Amara said plainly, stuffing the rabbit against her. A slight smile spread across her face as she watched Mina immediately hug it tightly.  
Michelle smiled and gently took hold of Mina's arm. "Let's go into the hall of mirrors," she suggested.  
Mina nodded. "Ok, but I want to right 'The Sling Shot' first!" she replied. "Come on, Amara!"  
Michelle shook her head as she watched to two race ahead of two kids headed for the ticket booth. She held her arms out for Artemis to jump in and then scratched his head when he did.  
Artemis looked up from his warm perch in her arms. "Hey, Michelle?" he said. He glanced down shyly when she turned her attention to him. "Thanks. For helping Mina, I mean."  
Michelle smiled. "Your very welcome," was her only reply.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Mina sat with the night wind whipping through her hair in the back of Amara's convertible. She closed her eyes as she turned them skyward and sighed a content sigh. A bright smile was clearly on her face and a happy twinkle in the corner of her eyes.  
Artemis was curled up in her lap sleeping as she gently stroked his head and back. Sighing her smile faded, but her heart still shined brightly with fond memories lingering in her mind.  
She closed her eyes again and before she knew it the car was stopping. When she opened her eyes she was in front of an art museum and Michelle was climbing out.  
"What's going on?" she asked, leaning forward.  
"This museum is having a midnight art show and Michelle is one of the artists they chose to be in it," Amara explained. "She'll be here for a while, so I'll drop you off at your house and come back."  
Mina nodded and leaned back in her seat. She waved goodbye to Michelle and closed her eyes again. Soon, she found herself thinking about her friends again. Sadly looking at the rabbit in the seat next to her she sighed.  
"Amara?" she asked quietly. "Why do you think it happened? Why do you think we broke up?"  
Amara glanced in her rear view mirror at the scout and scowled. She quickly turned her eyes back to the road and searched her mind for an answer. She had to be honest with herself as she sat in the silence of the night quietly thinking. She hadn't really thought much on it. All day herself and Michelle had been busy trying to keep Mina's mind off of the girls. Now that she thought about it, Michelle had had plenty of time to think it through when she sat on the bench while the other two went off of wild rides. And now that she was out of the car, Mina asked.  
"I honestly don't know, Kitten," she replied. She looked at her expression in the mirror and sighed at the disappointment that lined Mina's pretty face. "But I'll find out."  
Mina raised her head and stared puzzled at the driver of the vehicle. She watched her for a moment until she had to hide the tears in her eyes.  
"Don't cry," Amara said gently. She reached over into the glove compartment and pulled out a small packet of tissues. She handed them back to Mina after making sure there was more than one in it. "I know it must be hard to loose your friends for not apparent reason. It's tough, I'm sure."  
"You have no idea how bad it hurts!" Mina sobbed, blowing her nose. "I'm so sick of my heart hurting like this. I'm tired and all cried out!"  
Amara frowned. "I know. But today was good for you. You need more days like today," she said. "If you want, I can pick you up after school tomorrow and take you out to see the latest Sailor V movie."  
Mina smiled. "Thank you. I'd like that," she replied.  
"Then I'll pick you up around three. That'll give us half an hour before the afternoon showing. We can use the time to get some ice cream or something like that."  
"Will Michelle want to come?"  
"I'm sure she'd love to, Kitten, but she has things to do tomorrow. She has another art show to attend and she's probably got a few paintings to finish."  
"Can we go somewhere after the movie?"  
"Anywhere. Name your place."  
"To the Cherry Hill Temple?"  
Amara's eyes widened and she looked back over her shoulder just before turning after the red light. "Are you sure?" she asked, shocked.  
Mina nodded. "Raye will be at the festival selling charms and reading people's future. I want to use the time to talk with Chad, if he's there."  
Amara narrowed her eyes. "Alright, then," she said. "We'll go."  
Mina smiled. "Thanks."  
Amara pulled up in front of Mina's house and waited for Mina to walk around the car. Handing the tissues back the blonde smiled.  
"Thank you for today," Mina said, clutching her stuffed rabbit in one arm and half holding a sleepy Artemis. "I'll sleep better tonight."  
Amara smiled. "That's great," she said. "Take care of yourself tonight. I'll see you tomorrow."  
Mina nodded. "Goodbye Amara! Tell Michelle the same for me."  
"Good night, Kitten!" Amara said. She waited until Mina had the door open and was going in before she started on down the road. As she turned the car around to head back to her apartment she lost herself in thought.  
'What are you planning Mina?' she thought to herself. 'Going to the temple? Isn't that risking running into Raye?' Amara's brow frowned and she tilted her head downward in deep thought. She found a spot on the side of the street away from the light and pulled the car over. She gazed up at the star filled sky and sighed.  
"I will find out what happened to the five of you, Mina. That's a promise."  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
The room was filled with snotty people and fresh college students interested in art styles from folk to modern. The peered through their small framed glasses from behind their wrinkled eyes, or gazed amazed and wide eyed at gorgeous paintings with young, eyes new to the world of art. People pointed and stared, congratulated and marveled as they went around the room to each artist and his or her painting.  
Michelle stepped off to the side into the shadows of a lonely wall and popped her beeping communicator watch open. She raised it close to her mouth constantly watching over her shoulder for someone who might approach her and whispered into it.  
"Is Mina home safe?" she asked, knowing it was Amara.  
"Yep, the kitten's all snug at home," Amara's voice replied.  
"What do you have on your mind?" Michelle asked.  
There were a few moments of silence then a reply. "How'd you know I was-"  
"I know you all to well, Amara," Michelle said with a smile.  
"I was thinking," Amara replied after more silence. "Mina has something up her sleeve. She wants me to take to over to the Cherry Hill Temple so she can talk with Chad while Raye's at the festival."  
"And you agreed?"  
"Of course. I saw no harm in it. Besides, I want to find out what she's got planned. There's no need to worry, I'll be there if Raye comes back early."  
Michelle glanced over her shoulder cautiously. "Just don't let that happen."  
"I won't, don't worry about it," Amara said, dismissing the matter. "But since she won't be able to begin her plan until tomorrow I want to visit someone close to one of the girls. He can tell me what's been going on with that one."  
Michelle nodded. "Ok, be gone as long as you need. I can wait with another artist here I befriended until you can pick me up."  
"Thanks, Amara out."  
Michelle snapped the communicator shut and turned around at the voice of a young man. She smiled as he went on to complement her artwork, but inside she frowned. The night was going to be long with her mind wondering and thinking about Mina. She'd have to do some investigating of her own tomorrow while Amara was out with Mina. 


End file.
